Summer at Grandma's - Ch 3. "Chore time"

[bribear1042]

This chapter is a little shorter than the first two and delves more into the friendship of Matt and Josh while setting up for future chapters. Hope everyone enjoys. I might be a little slower in my writing than other authors but I try to pay attention to detail. As always, comments are welcomed.

Ch. 3 ? Chore time

Matt arrived at Grandma?s in late May. Pennsylvania weather in late May is still on the cool side. However, by mid afternoon on a sunny day, the temperature can rise into the high 70s, low 80s. After lunch, the afternoon sun was at full height and blaring down on the Pittsburg suburb, raising the temperature to about 80 degrees. Not unseasonably warm but to a 15 year old, it felt like 100.

?Grandma, so what kind of chores am I doing this afternoon,? Matt asked.

?The lawn can use a good mow. The lawn mower and weed whacker are in the shed in the backyard. Maybe Josh can help you so you won?t be outside in the summer sun too long,? Grandma replied. Grandma had a nice size lot that her house was built on, about an acre and a half. Grandma figured, even with Josh?s help, this chore would take most of the afternoon.

?Ok, you ready Josh? Let?s get to work,? Matt exclaimed. Josh, not nearly finished his lunch, thought about coming out after he was finished but changed his mind when Matt nearly pulled his right arm out of its socket pulling him to the back door. What was up with Matt, Josh thought to himself. Josh dismissed it when the two boys got outside and saw how much work there was to do.

Grandma?s lawn looked like it hadn?t been moved in over a year. There was grass as tall as the boy?s shins, weeds galore, and leaves from the previous fall that have since turned in to compost from decay. As anyone who has mowed an unkempt lawn knows, it is no easy task to bring it to a nicely manicured look. It would be an even harder task with the sun beating down on you for hours. However, Matt did not shy away from this task. He wanted to prove to Grandma that he is a young man now and not the feeble boy he once was.

Opening the shed brought a bit of concern to Matt?s face. He expected to find at least a gas powered mower not an old fashioned cylindrical push mower. This would take hours and be a lot of work. Josh also looked in the shed for the weed whacker but only saw a small scythe. Matt and Josh both looked at each other and simultaneously said, ?Shit!?

Matt?s Grandma expected the boys to really put forth some manual labor. How else were they going to get their exercise? Swimming could only help out with their cardiovascular abilities. They needed some resistance training in order for her herbal mixture she placed in the protein shakes and mixed in with the boys? lunches to start to kick in. If they tackle that lawn, they?ll be feeling the effects in the morning.

?Let?s just get this over with. I would like to get this done while it is still light out. Afterwards, we can relax in your pool,? Matt said in a rather commanding tone such that Josh knew not to argue. It almost seemed to Josh that Matt had become more mature, more authoritarian in the time that they were apart. With the morning wake up call, the pulling him out of his chair, and now this, this command, Josh didn?t know how to react to his friend. Mat was bigger than Josh so he didn?t want to make waves. He took the order.

Matt and Josh began mowing and weeding. Pushing the mower through the tall and heavy grass was no easy task. It seemed like Matt was using every muscle in his body, his biceps, his triceps, his pecs, and his quads, to move the mower even a few feet. Eventually he got into a rhythm and it became easier. Halfway through mowing, Matt got a cramp in his leg and needed to sit down for a little.

Meanwhile, Josh was hacking away at the brush across the yard. He used both hands on the scythe to cut because the handle was too thick for his small, 15 year old hands. These hands hadn?t seem much more than an X-box controller. Never had he used his hands to do work. Like Matt, he had to use every muscle to cut the weeds for they were tall and overgrown. By using both hands to hold the scythe, he was getting a nice upper body workout for his pecs, bis, tris, and even delts. About a couple of hours into his weed whacking, he heard a cry of help from his friend. Josh dropped the scythe and ran across the yard to his friend, sprinting because the cry had a sense of urgency to it. ?I?m coming Matt!? It took no time for Josh to run the length of the yard, about a ? acre, to his friend Matt. Unbeknownst to Josh, he had run faster than he had ever run before.

?What?s wrong buddy??
?My leg is twitching and it hurts.?

Matt was experiencing a muscle spasm. He had no idea what was happening to him, he just knew it hurt. Josh began to try and ease his friend?s discomfort by gently massaging Matt?s legs. Josh was a little shocked to feel a little muscle under his hands. Josh could feel the quadriceps pulsating, become harder with every beat of his own racing heart. Eagerly, Josh moved his hands back and forth, kneading the muscle. Sounds of relief were coming from his friend. The massage was more effective now because of Josh?s pump in his arms from working the scythe. Pretty soon, Matt spoke up.

?Thanks Josh. My leg feels better now. Never knew you were such a good masseuse. How?d you know to do that to my leg to make it feel better??

?You were having a muscle spasm. I remember learning about them in health class and that massage helped calm the muscle. I saw the twitching and just reacted, hoping my assumption was right. You know, Matt, you are getting some muscle in those legs. Running, swimming, and now mowing has helped you out.?

Matt loved the fact that Josh took control of the situation, using his brains to help. Josh was always the better student of the two. Thankfully for Matt, Josh paid attention in classes. He also like how Matt?s hands felt on his legs. It was ultra soothing putting both his leg and mind at ease; albeit, Matt?s emotions weren?t that easily calmed. Josh seemed to jump at his friends? distress, almost as if there was an element of care present. There was absolutely no inhibition in Josh reaching for Matt?s leg. The comment about his leg getting muscle, did Josh have feelings for Matt? Matt hoped so.
The boys finished with the yard work, the mowing, the weeding, the racking, the bagging of clippings, and hauling the bags to the curb for trash collection. It was nearly 6:00. It had almost taken 5 hours to manicure the lawn. The boys were drained and starved. Climbing the steps to the door seemed to take all of what little energy they had left but the boys pressed on. Ending the feeling in their stomachs and silencing the loud grumbles was enough motivation.

?Grandma, when?s dinner? We?re hungry? Matt shouted.

?It?s on the table boys. Come eat. You?ve earned it.? And eat they did. Each boy managed to scarf enough food to feed a stable of horses, oohing and ahhing with each bite. After finishing three plates for Josh and an astonishing four plates for Matt, the boys retired to the living room, nixing their earlier plans to relax in the pool and chose the couch instead.

Both boys fell asleep momentarily from pure exhaustion and swollen bellies. Grandma peered in to the living room from her adjacent bedroom, Grandma?s house was a one level rancher, with a smile. ?The boys are going to like the next chore,? she quietly mumbled under her breath while turning back into her bedroom to mix more of the herbal mixture she was using on the boys.

--TBC--

[MAZIVKAROLY]

Very nice and appealing continuation of this charming and "charmed" visit with Grandma for the summer. Many thanks, for sharing your imagination here.

[muscle16a]

[COLOR=cyan]Good so far! thanks for posting
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[omelissokomos]

Nice to see the boys finally starting to grow after all these years.

[1bigwoof]

I'll try to wait patiently for the next installment...

[rextorres]

Awesome! Don't make us wait another FOUR YEARS for the next chapter!!!!!

[bribear1042]

You have your wish. Ch.4 will be up by Sunday afternoon/evening. I still haven't totally decided where I am going with this story but have an idea. If you know the kind of stories I like, you can probably guess where this is heading. Thank you for all the nice things that were said by some really great people. I am truly humbled.

Bribear

[leedwards2005]

Great ! The story thread is coming along with great anticipation .